Many players of stringed instruments, such as guitars and banjos, use a pick to strum the chords while playing. Picks are generally, a small piece of plastic, wood, or other rigid material that are relatively thin and flat. Typically, picks are also substantially shaped as triangles to allow more control while strumming.
In the past, several attempts have been made to conveniently store a musical instrument pick. Firstly, musicians have stored picks by placing the pick under the cords of the instrument along the neck or other region of the instrument. This approach is problematic for a few reasons. Placing the pick along the neck and in-between the cords can loosen the cords. Loosening the cords will cause the stringed instrument to become detuned and unable to deliver quality sound. Further, the cords are not optimal for retaining the pick therein and the pick frequently becomes loose and falls out from between the cords.
Secondly, another attempt to conveniently store a pick utilizes as case or pouch to retain one or more picks therein. However, the case/pouch is not an ideal solution as the picks are small and can become unorganized inside a case. Moreover, the case or pouch requires the musician to open and rummage through the pouch to find and acquired the desired pick.
Thirdly, several dispensers have been developed that adhere or affix to the musical instrument. This approach while somewhat useful, requires that the musician alter or modify the instrument. The modification may be problematic from both a functional and aesthetic aspect. Further, musicians are hesitant to modify a preferred instrument because the appearance and playability of the instrument may be adversely effected. Generally, these dispenser-type pick holders are secured to the surface of the instrument by way of an adhesive applied to the back surface of the dispenser. The adhesive is then coupled with the surface of the instrument. However, when the musician desires to relocate or remove the dispenser, residual adhesive has to be removed from the surface of the instrument. The removal of various adhesives can be laborious and time consuming as well as increasing the probability of damaging the surface finish of the instrument.
Finally, another attempt to provide a convenient means for storing one or more musical instrument picks uses a rubber or plastic rail that is mounted to a microphone stand. The rail has a slot, groove, or elongate clip, which retains the picks therein. While somewhat useful, this pick holder requires that the musician stay near the microphone stand to have access to the picks. Further, when the musician is playing near the stand, the multitude of picks retained by the rail is unsightly as it detracts and blocks the visual appearance of the musician.
Efforts to provide convenient and easy access to musical picks have not met with much success to date. Correspondingly, those skilled in the art acknowledge there is a need for a new type of pick holder that overcomes the previously discussed deficiencies.